Ultimate Lifeforms
by CrazyNutSquirrel
Summary: Ultimate life-forms can hurt, do need help sometimes, and can not always survive without kindness. Sonic starts mocking Shadow when he finds him hiding a sister that no one knew he had.
1. Chapter 1

Ultimate life-forms by _IvyShadow_

_Summary:_

_Ultimate life-forms can hurt, do need help sometimes, and can not always survive without kindness. Sonic starts mocking Shadow when he finds him hiding a sister that no one knew he had, but after a bit of a re-telling from Shadow, Sonic realizes that there is more to Shadow's tender care of his coma bound sister than he would have known.._

**Author note: Hello! This is my first published fanfiction! I really really hope you like it. Read and Review people!**

Story:

Chapter 1:

Professor Gerald was positively bursting with excitement. "Hurry hurry hurry!" The other scientist were smirking, amused at the almost childish excitement the chief scientist was showing as they moved a box of seven chaos emeralds towards a machine that was linked up to a capsule. After setting the seven emeralds into their slots they turned to him, trembling with excitement, he added Black Doom's D.N.A. and pulled the lever.

After a bit of flashing and some instances were the Professor's heart almost stopped because of some flashed and dangerous sounding noises from the machine, the black and red figure inside the capsule, had their vitals read as normal. Professor Gerald felt so happy he almost couldn't breath. "Did it work Grandfather?" Asked a blonde girl in a blue dress with a sweet look named Maria. "Yes! It worked." "Grandfather calm down or the doctors will have to be checking you not me!" "Yes, yes, you're right. OPEN THE CAPSULE!" He screamed at some young men, Maria giggled as they jumped, "Granpa, you aren't listening to me." "Hurry hurry hurry!" His voice became a babble, Maria shook her head in amusement. The capsule was starting to open with a great hiss of steam. Everyone hurried forward, and a black hedgehog with red stripes fell out, in addition to the red stripes, he had a tuft of chest fur. "A hedgehog! A hedgehog! A hedgehog!" Gerald marched (or more accurately, jumped around with a sort of dignity) as Maria knelt by the hedgehog, "Grandfather, do you have gloves or something for him?" Gerald stopped prancing, "Gloves? Shoes? QUICK! GET THE..." Maria tuned out the rest of what he said and gave her attention to the hedgehog, "My name is Maria, can you say that?" He looked up at her with red eyes that had a hidden ring of orange inside the red, after thinking for a minute (Maria refused to label the look on his face as processing as if he was a mindless robot). He blinked, a look that obviously said, "Can you please repeat that?" So she did, "My name is Maria, try and say it?" After what looked like a struggle he copied how she'd mouthed her name then said, "Maria." She smiled, "Good for you." Then Gerald came up, "Maria! Seeing as it is your birthday I wanted to know if you wanted to name Project: Perfection and Eternal life." "Grandfather, why do you always give your projects such long names? Of course I would love to names? But yes, I would love to name him." "Him? How do you know that it's a him?" "Look, if it wasn't a him, he would need a shirt now wouldn't he?" "I suppose you are right, so what are you going to name him?" She looked at him for awhile and saw he was mouthing what they had said and was quietly repeating it. "You're going to give me a name? Like yours is Maria?" She smiled, "Yes, how about we name him... Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog." Shadow looked up at her, "Shadow... the... hedgehog?" "Well you're a hedgehog, and I think Shadow is a good name for you." He then demonstrated that he hadn't only been listening to their conversation, as well as the fact he was a quick learner. "Okay, if you think it sounds good, it must be."

**Author note: Hey! Not bad for a first chapter I think, what do you think? Hope you liked it! More will be coming as soon as I get at least one review. PLEASE? PRETTY PLEASE?! Well even if you don't review I'll add an update somewhere in the middle of the week... Hope you liked it and can't wait for more! **

- **CrazyNutSquirrel **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Sonic the hedgehog made vomiting noises at that, Shadow quickly pushed him back so that in case the blue hedgehog actually did vomit, none of the vile stuff would land on the form of a female hedgehog, lying on the couch. "What's wrong Shad? Don't want me to accidentally vomit on _Flames? _ The _very _pretty _imaginary _sister you have?" The pitch black hedgehog glared, "Shut the hell up faker." "Ooh, that stung." Joked Sonic. "Look, if you want me to tell you were the hell I know her from and why I claim she's my sister. Let me continue my (censored) story! When she is." The black blur added under his breath. Sonic rolled his eyes, "Okay okay, just continue."

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During the next few weeks, Shadow had flash training, almost 24/7, and he would have too, had it not been for Maria. She argued with Professor Gerald that Shadow did need a bit of fun too or he would become a very curt, very annoying, know-it-all. So Professor Gerald had relented, and at the moment, three weeks after his creation, Shadow sat, enraptured, on Maria's bed as she read a story to him about a dragon. "I think that's enough for now." "Oh come on Maria! Can you please tell me if the knight finds out the dragon isn't bad, please?" She giggled, "No you naughty hedgehog! How about we play a game of chess?" So they did, it ended in five minutes. "Check mate!" Shadow proclaimed triumphantly. Maria mock scowled, "Maybe I shouldn't have told Grandfather to incorporate chess into your flash training." Shadow grinned smugly, "Ah but you did so now it can't be reversed." "I could make him brainwash you." "What the...? You little beggar!" Shadow chased Maria, he didn't have the shoes that Professor Robotnik was working on, as he was still working out some little flaws, so he had had a pair of sneakers adapted for him, "You?! With sneakers!" Sonic rolled around laughing, Shadow closed his eyes, "I swear if that hedgehog continues cracking up about my life I will kill the bastard." He thought, to Sonic, he just glared. "Ooh, is Shadow mad at me? Did I steal your sneakers?" Shadow repressed the urge to leap forward and strangle Sonic. which might have been a good thing except for the fact that Shadow wasn't very good at running, in some anti-gravity tests to make sure (in case of emergency) Shadow would be able to survive and move in space, he had gone so fast he was a blur, when he went fully, you couldn't see anything of him except an afterimage, so that is what Gerald was working on, anti-gravity shoes, or Air Skates, as he called them. The black hedgehog finally managed to catch up and tackle her, they fell to the floor, giggling. Suddenly Shadow was pulled off of Maria and into a headlock. "Leave him alone George!" "But he tackled you! He could have hurt you!" Protested the boy, he released Shadow, and glared with hatred at the hedgehog, who gazed back with a trace of confusion. Maria told him all about the boy and had told Shadow he was a sweet, lovely boy who anyone could like, but on their first meeting George glared at Shadow and yelled, "So you are the reason Maria ignores me!" Shadow had been shocked, and Maria had been stern, "George, Shadow needs help, he's still learning and..." "G.U.N. WANTS HIM TO BE USED AS A WEAPON OF DESTRUCTION AND YOU STAND UP FOR HIM??" "George, that's what they want, what he does, is Shadow's choice." "Oh so the slime has a name does he?" After that, Maria had promptly refused to talk to George, only when he apologized to Shadow, glaring when Maria wasn't looking, did she forgive him and start talking to him again, Shadow had learned, but did not know why, that given the chance, George would love to hurt him, or even better (to George) kill him.

But Shadow continued observing manners as Maria wanted him to and smiled and said hello to George every time he saw him. To be yelled at in return.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Soon, Shadow and Maria, (sometimes George as well) had heated arguments about scientific things or other such subjects as they all understood. George, had actually become ashamed of his behavior and had started being nice to Shadow. So the threesome would go through the halls happily chatting. Gerald smiled and his moustache twitched, every time they went by his laboratory. Sure he and the other scientists were doing tests on Shadow on a daily basis but when they weren't, (if you were looking for one of them, you had to look for the other two as well), you couldn't find one without the others, it was in this way a plan formed between the three children.

Maria smiled at them, "But you see, if we make another Ultimate Life-form like Shadow, then he'll have a sister or a brother!" Her eyes got twinkly, and that was never a good sign if she wanted to do mischief, but, she was a genius being a Robotnik and Robotnik's always got their way so the two boys nodded helplessly. They took a little bit of Shadow's tissue that Professor Gerald had taken in case he was going to try another experiment (the lab with the capsule Shadow was born in was very dusty). And then Maria decided that they were not going to have another Shadow, they were not here to clone. "Okay, so how about we use a little bit of my D.N.A?" And before they could say anything, she put a small sample of her tissue in there, if the children hadn't turned to the switches, they would have noticed the tissues bond and become one, the red, turning golden, and orange, leaving parts of red intact.

"It's this one." Maria pulled the same lever her Grandfather had and with the same result. Except that this time, the hedgehog simply refused to get up off the floor, after hearing enough words it explained, "I'm a girl! I need clothes don't you know!" "Oh!" Maria raced off to get some, George and Shadow exchanged glances, a girl? How would it act? Would it attack them? "I don't kill people." It said. They jumped, while Shadow didn't know what the hell had happened, George did, "You can read minds?!" "Well I am made of two different tissues, and who knows what else." After everyone turned so Maria could help the hedgehog get dressed, they were faced with another problem, gloves and shoes like Shadow. "I can find out." The hedgehog closed her eyes and held up a hand. "Professor Gerald's plans for Shadow's shoes and gloves are still in this room. I can probably make them if you let me see them, so come on, let's find them!" Flame disappeared. Maria turned to the other two, "What do you think we should name her?" "I don't know, Daniella?" "George, she isn't a human, she's a hedgehog, and also, she's a special hedgehog." Shadow had been studying the pattern the gold, the red, and the orange had made on the striped areas of Flame's spikes, "How about we name her Flame?" Maria looked at Shadow, "Why's that?" "Because if you look at the markings inside the boundaries of her stripes, it looks like dancing flames." After a bit more discussion, Maria and George agreed it was a good name. But as they were going to help her she came back with shoes and gloves, the gloves were altered slightly, instead of black cuffs, she had light blue. And instead of red, she had gold. Maria clapped, Flame looked at them with amusement, "You guys didn't really help me you know, oh well, but I like my name so I'll let you off this time." They laughed and went back down the hallways, Flame turned out to be very good at hiding, so whenever someone came, she would scale the wall and be above their heads in a split second.

After three months of their cleverness, Gerald went to the lab he'd made Shadow in, and he saw areas in the dust that were not even with the rest, curious, he looked, footprints. Checking, they matched Maria's, that little child George's, and Shadow's Air Skates had also left their mark, but there were also some marks of feet without shoes. Gerald groaned, the kids had made another Ultimate Lifeform.

Maria, George, Shadow, and Flame had been playing monopoly when Gerald came, Flame streaked under the bed as Gerald knocked, they hurriedly put her stuff away as Maria got up, "Grandfather? What is it? Is something wrong?" Gerald stepped into the room, "Yes, something is wrong."

_Flame's POV:_

The old man said I might be dangerous, I couldn't help but smirk, dangerous? How could I be dangerous? If I was I would have killed the angel-girl, the boy, and the hedgehog, something about the hedgehog and the girl was interesting to me but I couldn't tell what... "Maybe because aliens are part of your creation." Sonic meant this as an insult but put on veeery innocent eyes. Shadow's narrowed, "One more interruption and you are dead hedgehog... The old man continues talking, "Yes Maria I need to take it..." "Her." "It's a _girl??_ But if you used Shadow's D.N.A. it couldn't have..." "I used some of my tissue too, it came out a girl." Gerald sighed and ran a hand through his moustache. "Dear, I just have to do all the check ups I did on Shadow and then maybe she can help us find a cure for you." I had come out from under the bed, and am transparent so no one saw me, then I became solid, scaring the life out of Gerald (literally). "I do have a name, and that is Flame." Gerald stared at me, I read his mind, he was thinking, "Her eyes which had decided to turn brown had the potential to be cold, but Maria had so far succeeded in preventing that, but they are analytical." Then I spoke to Maria. "Maria you told me he's a genius, why doesn't he take me for flash training already, I'm getting pretty bored Professor."

_End of Flame's POV_

So, in the next two weeks, Flame received her flash training, and scarily, she finished a lot faster than Shadow did, after that they started injecting her with sicknesses, and to their surprise (they had given her one and she had sworn violently under her breath and gone rigid) she requested that she get the more serious illnesses, and Shadow get the less serious ones. Gerald tried a stern frown, "Why, you don't want him to out class you?" Flame looked at him in amusement and raised an eyebrow, "Out class him? Maria gets worried sick, pardon the pun, any time that Shadow is fighting one of the major illnesses, she's slightly better when he has the lesser ones, and they take less of his energy." "And why doesn't it take you as much time?" Asked Gerald, impressed by Flame's knowledge, even though he had designed the flash training programs, "That is simple, if you checked, you would find my temperature is far higher than a normal beings, ignoring the fact I am not a normal being." Gerald nodded, "I can create and use flame." Gerald yelped as alarm bells went off in his head, Flame caught his wrist and pulled him back before he went to get G.U.N. "Professor, if I was going to hurt anyone in this facility don't you think I would have done it in the three months and two weeks I've been alive?" Gerald stopped an considered this, when he thought about it, he realized that she was right, he nodded, feeling slightly guilty. "It is okay Professor, seeing as I am able to read minds I know how you're feeling." And from that moment were he felt Flame's gentle, kind understanding, they started to make a bond of friendship. Sadly, this was not to last.

**Author's note: Hey guys, you are probably wondering about the sudden change in George and if how in the world I will make it so he hates Shadow again. Don't worry, I'll make it fun, and also, George saw Shadow with Maria and Shadow was actually feeling bad about being the cause of George being lonely. Hee hee hee hee, I'm terribly confusing sometimes, anyway, I'd like to say thank you to all of you who review my stories, I'm really thankful. CrazyNutSquirrel.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Gerald looked at the G.U.N. soldier incredulously, "They want me to kill both projects and try again?" "Yes, they say they are dangerous." Flame dropped down, the G.U.N. soldiers weapon was up immediately, trained on Flame. She held up a hand, "At ease, I am one of the dangerous projects as you put it, let me show you how dangerous we are." She put a palm on his forehead. And showed him her memories of playing with Maria and the others, of stealing cakes from the kitchen, and of sneaking around at night. She withdrew her hand, and he was so shocked by the break of contact he shot her, she blinked as the bullet went into her side, flames started to crackle around it, and before either of the men could scream, the bullet came out, supported on a small cushion of flame, she picked it up, and smiled at the man, there was a trickle of blood coming from the side of her mouth. "It's okay, the doctors need to see me is all." Then she stumbled out of the room, not once holding her side. The soldier continued turning this information over in his mind, if he reported this he might become a sergeant, but what if the other one could endure equally well? He had to find some way of getting Shadow shot, and if Shadow was equally durable, then he could become a general! He first got to see Shadow when they were almost to the hospital, Flame looked like she was going to vomit blood, her face was pale, but calm, suddenly a blonde girl with a blue dress, bounded around the corner followed by George and Shadow, who would do anything for her, anything. She screamed as she saw the wound, Flame smiled weakly, "It's okay..." "NO IT ISN'T OKAY! SHADOW, QUICK! GET HER TO THE HOSPITAL! GEORGE, GET THE ARMY, SOMEONE IS TRYING TO ASSASSINATE FLMAE!" Gerald was shocked by the command Maria had on the two boys, Shadow grabbed Flame who, knowing it would be okay to allow herself to, passed out. "Grandfather quick..." "This young man did, it was by accident." "By accident?! Flame is delicate, he could have killed her!" Then Maria ran off with George in tow. Gerald shook his head mournfully, "Hmm, well, go and report to your boss, I am not going to kill Flame and Shadow." The soldier walked off, he didn't think that was what command would want now since he had a little information to tell them.

When G.U.N. arrived, Gerald had no idea, "Oh, good morning, to what do I owe the pleasure?" "We have come to train the hedgehog." "What?! What do you mean?" "The one who was able to continue even though it had been shot through the side." "She's a girl for heavens sake! Training, training, why is everything you do to kill?" The Commander looked coldly at him, "Do not play around with me Gerald. We came here with orders and we will carry them out. Come men." Gerald, couldn't do anything but lead them to the hospital were Flame was talking to her trio of friends, hearing the footsteps she pushed Shadow out of sight under the bed while George put Shadow's chair back were he'd found it. They surrounded Flame's bed. "Come with us experiment, you are to undergo training." Flame raised an eyebrow, "And if I don't want to?" "You have to do it whether you like it or not." At that statement her eyes blazed, she got out of bed and surrounded her body with fire, "Get away from me, humans. Gerald, will their training enable me to protect Maria?" Gerald checked, then, nodded. Flame smiled, the flame disappeared, there wasn't even a single scorch mark, anywhere. "Okay, I will, but I refuse to act like a prisoner and walk between two of your soldiers." So in the end, she ended up skipping from side to side of the passageway, talking to the soldiers, even if they didn't reply.

Maria was asleep when Flame came back, even though she'd made herself look energetic after the training and had talked animatedly, the training had shaken her, and she was so tired she wasn't sure she would make it through the rest of the sessions, being tired also scared her. She was an Ultimate Life-form, and they did not get tired. So she sat quietly, watching Maria sleep, then she realized something, her chaos energy, something had happened to it, then she smacked her forehead and smiled, she had forgotten, they had been doing a test involving drawing all chaos energy from everywhere on the ship to see if they could concentrate it into a beam that could slice through anything. So she was safe, it was only loss of Chaos Energy. With this in mind she spent the rest of the night absorbing chaos energy from a fake emerald she had found in another abandoned lab.

**Author note: SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED SINCE A FEW DAYS AGO! The one explanatory word I can offer you is: Parents. I sincerely hope that this chapter makes up for the grossly unfair delay to your happiness at another chapter. CrazyNutSquirrel**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Maria was very concerned about Shadow, he had also had his Chaos energy drained and so was very lethargic, but Flame smiled and told Maria what the problem was, then she touched a finger to Shadow's chest and willed half the amount of chaos energy which she had obtained (which was way more than enough) to go into Shadow. It did. Then Flame lowered a hand, "You should be okay now." After that Maria stopped worrying because every time it happened, all Flame had to do was gather enough for each of them and give some to Shadow, (for some reason Shadow was having trouble learning how to absorb it like she did, from far distances, why, did you expect all of it to be on the ARK? The fake emerald was a big help too). They went to breakfast and Flame got herself a big slice of black forest cake with a cherry on top. Maria laughed very hard, "What are you trying to do, make yourself sick?" She laughed, Flame stopped eating momentarily, then she grinned at Maria, "Maybe my dear girl, maybe..." From then on Flame wouldn't refer to Maria as Maria, she referred to her as dear girl. Which Maria liked a lot so that was good. And Flame had very good control over her powers now, she learned to juggle in secret then was putting on shows for her three friends everywhere they went, sometimes walking or walking backwards as she juggled fire balls. Gerald was deeply impressed by how she could use her powers, she used them to perform stunning tricks which no juggler could have performed, like tossing the fireball up and having it weave down, under her arm from the front, coming up from the back to go back to it's original pattern. Or going down between her legs and weaving the sign of infinity before disappearing into her, she'd open her mouth and out it would come to rejoin the pattern. But there was more to her learning to juggle than anyone else (except Shadow who she told) could see. It was a useful tactic, if she heard an enemy, she could pretend to do another of her stunts and then toss a fireball, she could also make a cage of fire appear. And so when the ARK slept, Shadow and Flame would practice, to get both of their skills to a higher level.

_Shadow's POV:_

That darn fire, it meets me at almost every turn, "Shadow concentrate! If you have to beat me some day for any reason I'm not going to be all nice and say, "Shadow I'm aiming to your right, see? I want a fair fight" it isn't going to happen like that Shadow! You have to know how to fight me in case I go out of control." I jump and twirl in mid-air to avoid a fireball, "Good, but not good enough!" She scorched me, how did she do it?! "You want to know how? You let your thoughts of what you were going to do run through your head, you have to learn to block that from me, tomorrow we'll take a break from this, we'll practice blocking our minds." I groan, blocking my mind? Is this woman trying to kill me? But I have to do this in case Flame endangers Maria. So we head back to the dormitory. Maria is sleeping peacefully, "You protect her, I'll go guard George." She slipped away as if she was made of air. I shiver, that thought comes to me a little too much for my liking. Maria turns, I freeze, she does not know of Flame's and my nightly training sessions. But Maria didn't wake up, she only started to smile more angelically if that was possible. I sat down, sighing and then I fell into the waiting arms of sleep.

_End of Shadow's POV_

Flame was darting along the hallway when she had to become transparent, like Black Doom, she could float through things in her transparent state, so, unseen because of her transparent state, she floated into a room, the Commander stood there, "That hedgehog could get dangerous, we shall have to put it into containment, except for when it needs to train or we have use of it." The soldier nodded, "Do you want me to compose a letter and send it to command?" The Commander looked up then grinned evilly, "No, I will write it personally." Shade quickly drifted out and to George's room. She sat in a corner, trembling, but she decided that from now on, when wandering the corridors alone she would be transparent, so for the rest of the night, she floated, suspended between fear and ruthlessness, and happiness and kindness.

**Author note: I decided to upload two chapters at once since you haven't had any for awhile, again accept my apologies for the delay in your happiness, if indeed, you like this story at all. CrazyNutSquirrel**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author note: Thank you Caos Gal55592 for all of your reviews! Rock on! And to everyone else (including you) enjoy this new chapter! **

Chapter 6:

Shadow, Maria, and George became very very concerned about Flame, every time she saw a G.U.N. soldier she either skated like crazy, or trembled badly until they were out of sight. "What's wrong?" Maria asked while Flame spaced out, "Huh? N..N...nothing..." "Hmm..." Flame was too distracted to even be able to read minds, so Maria's little plan to go talk to her Grandfather went unheard by Flame. Maria, Shadow, and George went later that day.

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"Whoa Shad, most of this story seems based on Flame, why not you? I thought you were the Ultimate Life-form or some such bull(censored)." Shadow glared at the blue hero. "Shut up Sonic or I shall stitch your mouth shut, or maybe when Flame wakes up she can reduce you to ashes for me. She always did want to make me happy..." Shadow purposefully let his voice trail off and his eyes get an evil glint, Sonic panicked, "N...no need for that! How about, you just continue with your highly interesting, completely absorbing story?" Asked Sonic in a voice that was too shrill to be normal for him. Shadow smirked, "Good, and now you keep your (censored) mouth shut."

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Gerald looked up from his work, "Maria! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Maria pushed him playfully, "Oh stop the formality, we came to talk about Flame." Gerald became serious, "What is wrong with her? Did she become ill?" "No, but..." Shadow continued were Maria left off, "Every time she sees a G.U.N soldier..." "...She goes pale..." "...or trembles badly until they're gone..." "...Spaces out a lot..." "...And acts nervous every time we ask her what is wrong." Finished Shadow, having explained with George and Maria's help. Gerald stroked his moustache, "Hmm... I think I'll try out my mind reading machine on her, I got the inspiration from her to be honest, we have some of her tissue, so we put it into the machine, and presto! We can read their thoughts, the only downer is that the machine works only once each time." "It's okay, we just have to find out what's wrong!" Gerald smiled at his determined Granddaughter, and pressed the button, immediately Flame's voice echoed around the room, "Has the letter gone through? Will they do it to me? This is too confusing, why do I have to experience it? Oh well, at least it's better that it be me than Shadow, if they do what they've been doing to me it will probably break him, but I can't bear the thought of not being able to see them, what in the world would I do? And if they treat me like a pet or use their weapons on me... would I lose control? Would Shadow have to fight me so soon? Maybe the nightly training lead up to this... argh, I hate not being sure of anything, it makes me feel so helpless. Another one? When will it happen? When will they come to take me away?" Her voice disappeared as Gerald turned off the machine, "G.U.N." Whispered Maria. "We have to go find Flame."

They found her looking at Earth (or Mobius) and she didn't notice them, she was watching a ship come towards the ARK, the one that brought mail and supplies. "Flame?" She whipped around, her hands covered in fire, seeing who it was, the fire on her hands disappeared, she fell to her knees and groaned, holding her head in her hands, "Oh please make it stop, I almost attacked all I have for family, leave me alone, are you happy now?" Shadow momentarily heard a faint voice, that sounded very sinister say, "No, you must learn to deal with this, otherwise you are a weakling." She started sobbing, "I'm becoming a mindless soldier to him." "To who?" Flame looked up, her face tear stained, "Black doom." The air suddenly felt as if it had been electrified. "Black doom? Did you say Black doom?" Gerald looked panicked, Flame, slightly confused, nodded. Gerald's eyes widened with fury, "He thinks that he can have two when our deal was one? How dare he!" Gerald strode off, leaving the two human children and Shadow to care for Flame. Maria had hugged Flame who was now quietly crying into her shoulder. Shadow looked at Flame, he had had some pretty hard times were he had cried, he had asked Maria why she would always comfort him, and she had answered, "Shadow, we do what feels right to us, and a good thing is to comfort someone who isn't feeling good." And so Shadow crouched by Maria and Shade and hugged them. Flame stiffened, then realized what was happening and relaxed. Maria whispered, "Good for you Shadow."

**Author note: Okay... I really need to know if you guys thought this chapter was good.**

_It was crap._

**I wasn't asking you Charmy, and are you even old enough to be allowed to say crap?**

_No, but Vector allows me to._

**Vector I thought you said Charmy never said things kids his age shouldn't.**

Well that isn't bad, I would say stuff worse than that at his age, like f...

**VECTOR WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE SWEARING!**

Alright alright! Keep your hair on lady!

**And Espio, could you call Shadow?**

_Why?_

**Because I want Shadow to have another game of, "shooting random objects". It will be great fun, you can join us if you'd like. (Note: I have never held or shot a gun, this is strictly within the fiction).**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author note: To those who have reviewed my story:**

**Roger Clink: Thank you! I didn't know that my writing was THAT good.**

**Caos Gal55592: Thank you very much for reviewing my story so many times, and as for mentioning you, you put my story on alert! I should be thanking you for reviewing.**

Chapter 7:

When G.U.N. came, they were surprised, all their recent reports about the hedgehog stated she trembled or ran off as if terrified every time she saw a G.U.N. soldier, which had pleased the Commander no end, but now they had come into the cafeteria were everyone was and they saw Flame sitting as pretty as you please, chatting away with her friends, she glanced up, saw the soldiers, and _waved_. She actually waved at them? The Commander turned on his informant, "I thought you told me she was trembling in her boots any time she saw one of us?" He hissed, the young man went pale, "Sh...she was sir." Then Flame's clear voice rang out, "Would you like to join us? Or are you wondering what to have for lunch, or some other equally important business?" The Commander turned with what dignity he could muster at the stifled snickers from all around. "Yes, we have come to take you for training, you will be put in containment so as not to be a threat to anyone." "You and who's army?" That made some people shriek with laughter, fortunately for them, the Commander couldn't make them out because of his rather poor eye sight. "G.U.N." "Gun? You didn't tell me you wanted a gun for Christmas." More shrieks, "I... Well I... SHUT UP!" He bellowed, Gerald had come in, but before he could do anything Flame was standing up and wagging a disapproving finger in the veteran of many wars face, "Now now, do you want to have a time out? Or will you continue this nonsense and will I have to ground you for a month?" After a bit more shouting, reprimanding, (and swearing, kids, don't tell your mothers!) Flame finally decided to let the Commander (who had steam coming out of his ears) take her. She once again refused to act the prisoner and bounced up and down on the way to her new courters, Gerald was able to make sure they were decent because of his authority, but not much else. It had no books, or anything else of interest, but G.U.N for some reason, sent her a dog, (Flame later learned this was so she could learn the type of obedience she was supposed to have as an artificial being, which had resulted in her snorting and almost choking on her cereal). She had been allowed to name her dog to her surprise, "I thought they wanted me to be dog gonned obedient?" She asked, so she had named him, Imperial Nons. Imperial Nons, (or I.N.) soon learned that G.U.N. soldiers wouldn't stop him from doing anything he wanted, so he could roam about easily, Flame always had to have the door to her room open, and two G.U.N soldiers (or robots) positioned outside the door, and it would only be closed if she had to get changed, but a robot would be with her. I.P. (or as Flame preferred to call him, Imp) would go out with letters to Maria and the others, and Imp would return with replies, and a considerably bulgy belly. After the twentieth time Flame noticed, she laughed as he rolled on his back, "Maria's been stuffing you with treats!" The dog barked happily and wagged his tail.

Flame's training was intensive. She fought, sometimes she was forced to not use her fire in case she somehow lost the ability, she was taught how to use it, but then G.U.N. realized they weren't getting anywhere with her ability to control it in fighting situations. So the sessions stopped for awhile, and she would just write letters, eat, sleep, or talk to Imp, or (though G.U.N. didn't know it) she would go transparent and go visit her friends.

But G.U.N. had just been searching for something, and they had found it while Flame idled, it was a pheonix, who knew how to fight in the most efficient way possible with fire, he was an assassin by the nickname Surly, no one knew his real name.

So G.U.N. captured him and took him to the ARK, he looked pityingly at the ARK, "A giant space station with a cannon that looks like an overlarge nose? That's more like something for a cartoon don't you think?" They hit him, he smiled and licked the blood welling up in his mouth.

Flame heard metal tipped boots coming down the hallway so she sat against the back of her chair, looking very convincingly bored. The Commander looked outraged, "Didn't anyone attempt to train her while I was away?!" Flame smiled at him, "No sweetie, they were too afraid I'd lose control and burn them to a crisp before eating them, they seem to think I eat humans by the way. And if it's true I'd like you to meet my oven Commander, personally." Flame smirked, not unlike Shadow would in the future, satisfied with herself. "Hmm... we brought you a mentor to teach you how to use your powers, he shall share a room with you." Surly and Flame looked very alarmed, "I can't be in a lady's quarters!" "I am not having a man in my room!" They both said this at the same time, the Commander realized it might just be better to give in as his soldiers looked like if Flame even twitched, they were going to proclaim mutiny. So Surly got his own room, connected to Flame's by a small door. It only took a week for them to greatly like each other.

When they first realized there was a bond between them (**Warning: Contains a bit of swearing**) he was attacking her with fire balls, rapid fire, you could say. "God damn it Flames! Keep your focus or you'll never learn this!" After getting scorched a few times Surly turned in disgust, "End lesson, you have to learn to..." He didn't get much farther as a fire ball suddenly knocked him down from behind, he whirled and looked at her angrily, "I said end lesson!" "And you also said never turn your back on your enemy." She countered, after glaring at each other for a bit Surly's face broke into a wide grin, "I like your style!" "Same here!" They chatted happily all the way to their rooms and she came to his room. She looked at all the weapons (locked in cases but who cares?) that were hung on the walls. He looked delighted at her interest, "Do you use _all _of these in your job?" He chuckled, "Well when I still had it yes." "Cool! Could you teach me?" "Well if kick-in-the-bottom-deserving-commander lets me, sure." Flame's face lit with pleasure, for the next hour they talked and he complemented her on some moves he had never seen or heard of. She smiled and slyly told him that some of his moves were too slow for her liking which ended in a brawl between them, if Flame hadn't been giggling so much at how comical Surly looked she would have won.

As soon as she was sure everyone was asleep she became transparent and floated to Maria's room. Maria and Shadow were playing checkers, even though she was slightly disappointed that George wasn't there she was still happy to see them, she decided to be funny, "Brother..." She called, her voice spectral, as if it was floating a long distance. Shadow's head snapped up, meaning he missed seeing Maria take at least four of his pieces, "I am coming... to see you... await my arrival..." Then, managing not to giggle, she watched him tell Maria and then watched the two hurrying around to sort everything out before she _arrived_. She floated outside and knocked, she heard them jump, and she heard Shadow whisper to Maria, "It's as if she'd been watching us... " But she managed to convert her giggles to energy. Maria opened the door. "Hi Maria! Did you miss me?" Maria hugged her, "Ooh, Maria is a huggy huggy kissy kissy person!" Said Flame teasingly. Maria grinned slyly, "No I'm not, but I am a tickle person!" "'Nooo...!" Maria had Flame rolling around on the floor, out of breath. After they finished playing she told them what had happened during the break in their visits. "Really? He's going to teach you all of that?" Asked Maria wide eyed. "Yup, and I'm going to teach what I've learned to Shadow." Shadow was puzzled, "How?" Flame smirked, "Flash training, they want me to learn to hack into computer systems so that I can be a spy if they want, so, all I have to do is create the software, and deliver it to you." Shadow looked skeptical, "Would you be able to hold it?" "Not if I was transparent, but if I used a little chaos energy I could make it intangible too." Shadow raised his eyebrows and said no more.

**Author note: Hope you like Surly, he was inspired by an argument I was having with one of my younger brothers.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author note: Thank you Caos Gal55592, just for you, I decided to update two chapters sooner, which means today, August 2nd 2008, thank you very much for your reviews of my story.**

Chapter 8:

Surly was jumping he was so happy, "Now, do your fire blossom." Fire blossom wasn't tiny, it was like a Chaos Blast made of fire. But the Commander had grown a hatred for Flame, so he sent some G.U.N. soldiers down into the arena at the exact moment the blast went off. Flame looked at the burnt remains of the man, Surly looked at the Commander in rage, "You deliberately set that up!" He yelled, but the Commander just aimed a pistol at him and shot, Surly looked at the blood pouring from his chest, Flame ran to him, he saw this in slow motion, "Surly!" He turned his head to her, "Flame, you have to take the fire token from my room, the one I showed you, a dancing flame, it is," He gasped, fighting for breath, "Yours now, by right, as my one and only apprentice..." She hugged him, "Don't leave me Surly..." "I have to, I can't...I can't survive with this." She looked at him, the way she saw blurred by tears. She kissed his now lifeless face, "I'm so sorry Surly." Then she got up, a vengeful demon, fire flickered around her body, the last the Commander saw of Flame's face was a twisted mask of fury, the look sent shivers down his spine. The flaming creature grew wings, and it became taller, it shrieked it's grief to the whole Space Station, then she let off a blast, that blast was the last thing the Commander saw.

Maria and Shadow were now running for their lives, they didn't know why G.U.N. was shooting at them but they didn't look like stopping any time soon. George had told them he'd meet up with them in the capsule room, they could only hope Flame would do so as well. "Maria hurry!" She stumbled, "I'm trying Shadow!" Then they heard the shriek of grief, "What is that?" Maria asked, some of the soldiers asked the same question, but in panic. They heard crackling flames, then a blast came and the wall on their right crumbled to dust, Maria screamed. The creature that came through was made completely from flames. Seeing Maria scream it shrank away from her and Shadow, bowing it's head, but then it turned on the G.U.N. soldiers and roared before advancing, Maria cried out, panicked, "Leave them alone!" The creature turned and nodded, then came to them and picked them up, if they expected to feel searing heat, what they got was far from it, a gentle warmth was all they got. The creature went down the corridor, using it's wings to increase it's speed. Maria looked and saw something hanging around it's fiery neck, she leaned closer, "Flame?" She looked up at the burning pits which were it's eyes, it nodded slowly, and in a deep, rumbling voice, a feminine one, it said, "Maria." Then a shot whizzed through the air, flames consumed the bullet before it got any farther. They got to the capsule room and the flaming beast put Maria and Shadow down to set up the capsule, another bullet shot was heard, Flame turned too late, Maria gasped, and fell to the floor. "MARIA!" Shadow yelled, a G.U.N. soldier, unnoticed, slide a gun across the floor to stop near Shadow. George came in to see it by Shadow, and Shadow holding Maria, he didn't notice the flaming beast. His pupils became dots, "I HATE YOU SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG!" He screamed, Shadow didn't hear, he stroked Maria's face, Flame rushed over and picked Maria up, shoving Shadow into a capsule. "No! Maria!" "Go Shadow, make the people of Earth... happy." Then Flame helped Maria pull the lever, Shadow could only watch helplessly as Maria died in Flame's embrace, before falling. As he fell towards the Earth he saw a small pinpoint of light fall from the ARK, as it passed him he realized it was Flame, unconscious, holding her head, crying. He even heard her in his mind as she fell past him, "I've failed them... I've failed." And then she was gone.

**Author note: Next chapter is the last one. Hope the story wasn't too short.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author note: I have to say thank you again to everyone who has reviewed this story: **

**Caos Gal55592: For reviewing through all the chapters**

**Roger Clink: For telling me my writing was flawless, and for just reviewing.**

**RikThePrikc: For being my special friend through all of this story and reviewing it first, thank you very much Rik, also for reading this story before anyone else with mostwanted01. Thank you.**

**And to all of you who review after this story's completion, thank you very very very much. CrazyNutSquirrel.**

Chapter 9:

"And you know the rest faker." Finished Shadow glaring at Sonic. Sonic grinned cheekily, "Shadow deleted all of my comments through the chapters, otherwise you'd have seen a whole lot more of me." "Which is the last thing they need." Muttered Shadow. Sonic playfully punched Shadow's shoulder, "Ah come on Shadow have a heart!" Shadow glared at him as if he wanted nothing more than to murder the blue hero. "Okay okay I get it." To Shadow's dismay, Sonic called everyone else and they came over, what Knuckles stubbornly refused to let go was the fact the flames didn't burn. "All flames burn!" One of Shadow's eye lids twitched, "I already explained, she could control it, so she could control the heat of the..." "I don't believe it." Everyone glared at Knuckles, "Will you shut up?" They hissed, Rouge had thought the story was very impressive. Then they heard a tiny moan. "Shadow?" They looked at Flame. Her eyes had opened, they seemed out of focus, "Shadow?" "Yes Flame?" "Oh Shadow!" She propelled herself off the couch and tackled him into a hug, "I missed you!" "I... I missed you too." Shadow replied, thanking every god there was that his black fur hid the blush that was creeping up on his face. Flame smiled at him, then she became serious, "I think we have to return to our nightly training sessions." He groaned, "FLAME!" She giggled, "Good chaos can't you stand a joke?"

The End.

**Author note: I know this chapter might have been way too short for some of you, but if you would like a sequel, please, by all means, give me your ideas through reviewing, I'd really appreciate it as this story is the one that has gotten the most reviews so far, (this is from looking at it on the date listed in the previous chapter), thank you, (I know it must be getting boring) again to all of you who reviewed, I really appreciate the feed back you all gave me. **


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